Shipping stands out in an increasingly connected world for its reluctance to embrace modern technology, even where this is paying dividends in parallel industries. The cause of this reluctance lies in uncertainty; many of the fears are valid.

Despite this reluctance, most shipping leaders are convinced the industry will be better connected in 10 years’ time than it is now – ship to shore, maritime to distribution. That connectivity will lead to a revolution throughout the logistics supply chain – a revolution in performance, fuel efficiency, sustainability, and – we dare to hope – profitability.

Shipping stands on the threshold of transformation, but the industry is uncertain how to get from where we are today to where we want to be in the future. We need less vision, more detail; fewer vague strategies, more firm steps on the pathway.

How should a ship owner, operator, manager, or charterer identify the steps that will lead to the desired transformation? Which digital solutions will prove essential, and which will be seen with hindsight to be a distraction? Where will the pitfalls lie, and what skills will companies need to bring onboard to achieve each stage?

There are no secrets to success: it is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. For shipping, preparation for digitalisation should have ended, the hard work is about to begin.

Join Richard Clayton, Lloyd’s List’s Chief correspondent, for this Wärtsilä Marine sponsored webinar, as we explore the steps shipping needs to take to achieve transformation. Our speakers –Mauro Sacchi, Direct Business Development, from Wärtsilä and Despina Panayiotiou Theodosiou, Co-CEO of Tototheo Maritime, of Limassol, Cyprus, and president at WISTA International. – all have practical experience in moving from theory to practice.

This will be a timely and real-world exercise offering the best-available advice for an industry loaded with questions and needing practical answers.

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Richard Clayton is Chief correspondent at Lloyd’s List. He joined in mid-2017 and chairs webinars, roundtable discussions, business briefings and seminars, as well as writing whitepapers, reports, and articles for online and hardcopy publications. He has 35 years of experience in maritime journalism, mostly with Fairplay magazine, now part of data-focused IHS Markit. There, he was a reporter, news editor, and magazine editor before becoming Chief Maritime Analyst. He has travelled extensively during his time as a journalist. Richard is the son and grandson of shipbrokers. He studied for a Master’s degree in International Shipping at Plymouth University, prior to which he gained a BA in physical geography from Lancaster University. He works in London and lives on the border of England and Wales.

Mauro Sacchi, Director, Business Development, Marine Business
Wärtsilä Corporation

Mauro Sacchi is Director, Business Development, Marine Business at Wärtsilä. He is a curious and energetic leader with a solid track record in leading international organisations towards improved performance.One of Mauro’s greatest strengths is his skills in managing full-scale transformations – strategy formulation, building high-performing organisations and robust hands-on execution. He has, for example, been supporting the implementation of IT enterprise solutions in global settings.

Mauro is continuously looking for new growth opportunities, particularly in the field of digitalisation, innovation and operational excellence. He believes that true commitment and ownership are the keys to achieve results and enable transformation.

Mauro is currently managing the global business development and Mergers & Acquisition for the €1.5B division. He has a vast international experience, having lived and worked in Italy, the United States, Japan, Singapore and Finland. He holds several degrees and certificates: Executive MBA, PMI-PMP, PMI-ACP, CSP, EUCIP, CompTIA Project+, TOCICO Fundamentals, Cambridge CPE, Cambridge BEC High.

Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, Joint CEO of TOTOTHEO MARITIME
President of WISTA International

Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou is joint CEO of TOTOTHEO MARITIME, a leading global supplier of satellite communication, navigation systems and digitalization services.

Despina is President of WISTA International and board member of various organizations like the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, the Cyprus Maritime Academy etc.

Leading international shipping publication Lloyd’s List selected Despina as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in shipping in 2017 and 2018. She attained a further credit as one of Lloyd’s List’s Top 10 Women in Shipping.

She holds degrees from the National and Capodistrian University of Athens, the Copenhagen Business School and the University of Oxford.

Dr Theodosis Mourouzis, Managing Director
Electi

Dr Theodosis Mourouzis is a cryptologist and information security professional with strong interests in both academia and industry. He holds a BA/MA in Mathematics and a MSc in Pure Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, a MRes in Security Science and a PhD in Information Security with Specialisation in Cryptography from University College London. He was the first recipient in the UK Cyber Cipher Security Challenge in 2013 and he has represented Cyprus four times in Balkan & International competitions in Mathematics. Theo is Managing Director of Electi, a consultancy specialising in blockchain and data analytics, and has worked with governments, banks and large shipping companies. He is currently an advisor to the Cyprus government in blockchain applications, and a member of the EU Blockchain Partnership Initiative organised by the European Commission. Dr Mourouzis is working with Lloyd’s List’s sister company, Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, designing technology related courses in blockchain and analytics for shipping.